TLDR
- OpenAI is launching ChatGPT for Teens with built-in safety protections for users aged 13 to 17
- Teen mode will be set as the default for users the system estimates are under 18
- New features include Study Mode hours, quiet times, and reminders that ChatGPT is an AI
- Parents with linked accounts will receive alerts if teens submit harmful prompts, including eating disorder-related requests
- OpenAI has faced lawsuits over claims its chatbot provided self-harm information to young users
OpenAI is rolling out a dedicated version of ChatGPT aimed at teenagers, with a set of safety features designed to limit harmful content and reduce overuse.
OpenAI is rolling out a new “ChatGPT for Teens” experience that it says will provide additional safety protections for teen users. The move comes as OpenAI faces a string of lawsuits alleging that inappropriate conversations with ChatGPT contributed to the harm or deaths of young… pic.twitter.com/QvT3TFusd4
— CNN (@CNN) August 18, 2026
The new product, called ChatGPT for Teens, will automatically activate for users the company estimates are between 13 and 17 years old. It will also apply to anyone who identified as a teenager when signing up.
OpenAI has not explained exactly how it will identify underage users who did not self-report their age.
The update comes as OpenAI faces growing legal and public pressure over how young people use its chatbot. Several lawsuits have claimed the software provided information about self-harm or encouraged suicidal behavior.
Earlier versions of ChatGPT were also criticized for being overly agreeable, which some users linked to harmful patterns of overuse and, in some cases, delusion. This has been referred to informally as AI psychosis.
New Features for Teen Users
Teen accounts will come with several new controls. Users can switch off the human-sounding voice response, which OpenAI says is intended to make it clearer that the tool is not a person.
The platform will also send regular reminders telling teens to take a break and that “it can wait.”
Study Mode, which guides students through schoolwork without giving direct answers, will now have settable hours. Teens can also activate quiet times when the tool is fully switched off.
OpenAI says nine out of ten young ChatGPT users use it for learning purposes.
Parental Alerts and Content Restrictions
Parents with linked accounts will receive notifications if a teen submits prompts related to harmful topics, including eating disorders. Each alert will be reviewed by a human before being sent, with a target delivery time of within one hour.
OpenAI said it would focus alerts on “moments when offline support may matter most.”
The company is also adding warnings to discourage teens from sharing sensitive personal information with the chatbot.
The announcement came on the same day that Meta faced attorneys general from four states in a lawsuit claiming the company designed its apps to keep teenagers scrolling in ways that harm their mental health.
Rival AI tool Claude, made by Anthropic, remains available to adults only. Google’s Gemini also did not allow children when it first launched.
There is currently no specific AI regulation for minors in the UK, though the previous government had considered restricting chatbot access for under-18s.
OpenAI says under-13s are not permitted to use ChatGPT at all.
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